In the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode, Justin and Jay weigh in on several big tech cases in front of the Supreme Court. First, the 9-0 ruling on the TikTok ban, and whether there will be some resolution from the Trump administration. Next, they discuss the Texas adult website age verification case that was heard this week, a conversation that covers the balance between privacy, safety, and technical capabilities, as well as their reminiscences of John Updike and 2 Live Crew (and the difference between pornography and obscenity). Finally, they take up President Biden's declaration that the ERA has been added to the constitution as the 28th amendment (to be clear, it hasn't).

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Jay and Justin open with a discussion of the political and practical challenges surrounding the LA fires, including the role of climate change, disaster preparedness, environmental regulation, and political blame games.

Then they turn to Trump nominee confirmation hearings, focusing on Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and RFK Jr.

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Mike talks with Justin Talbot Zorn, who has served as Legislative Director to three Members of Congress and is a Senior Adviser to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. In his policy and communications work, Justin specializes in climate, innovation, manufacturing, and economic competitiveness. In this conversation, Mike and Justin focus on PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ and environmental policy.

Topics Mike and Justin discuss include:

- why the US Air Force isn’t cleaning up water it contaminated with PFAS

- the military’s big PFAS problem

- costs and benefits of cleaning up PFAS in the water supply

- what to expect concerning PFAS regulation in the Trump administration

- plausible worst and best-case scenarios for the next four years

Justin’s article on Trump’s testicle shrinking deregulation.

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Trey and Ken continue their journey through the U.S. Constitution by examining the long-dormant history of the 15th AMendment, the history of the goals of the 15th Amendment, and the modern jurisprudence on the 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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Trey and Ken open their first episode of 2025 discussing Trump’s felony conviction. Next, they consider Trump’s comments on international foreign policy, specifically his aggressive stance on Canada, Greenland, and Panama. They finish the show by discussing special council Jack Smith’s report release and its court rulings thus far.

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Mike and Jay open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the potential threat posed by Chinese technology to US national security. Between issues with market-leading TP-Link routers and the TikTok ban scheduled to go into effect later this month, how worried should we be about China’s ability to use technology against us?

Next, they look at a story that’s been underreported in most of the media but has significant implications for tens of millions of small businesses: the Corporate Transparency Act’s reporting requirements. Both Mike and Jay question the wisdom of the legislation, wondering if it’s overly broad, restricts free association rights, and would do anything significant to minimize money laundering and financing of terrorism.

They close by responding to listener questions about Jay taking potshots at left-wing alarmists and their views on populism and a strong two-party system.

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Mike and Jay open the first episode of 2025 with a discussion of the recent terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, followed by a look at the upcoming vote for Speaker of the House.

Next, they consider the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter, looking at the awful situation Carter inherited from Ford, the thumping Carter took in losing to Reagan in 1980, and Carter’s long and impressive post-presidency.

After that, it’s a follow-up on their healthcare discussion from late last year. Mike points out that Jay was right (and Mike was wrong) about most Americans liking their health insurance. However, Mike has some issues with the question itself and makes the case that more specific questions about people’s experiences with healthcare, especially costs, paint a far less rosy picture.

They close by considering whether working for Donald Trump in his second administration is justifiable and, if so, under what conditions.

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Mike talks with Jeremy Young, PEN America’s Freedom to Learn program director, about the recently released report, America’s Censored Classrooms, 2024.

Topics Mike & Jeremy Discuss Include:

- how big of a problem educational censorship is

- where it’s happening

- the deviousness of ‘stealth censorship’

- institutional neutrality and viewpoint diversity

- how universities are responding to censorship attempts

- what to expect from the incoming Trump administration

PEN America on X

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Jay and Justin discuss the Democratic strategy as an opposition party. Will Democrats do better to oppose everything, or to attempt bipartisanship to blunt the edges of Trump's policy? They wrap up with a discussion of the ethics and optics of Biden's proposed commutation of some (or all) federal death sentences.

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Jay and Justin cover the freshly minted debt ceiling deal and the implications for the strategies for both parties headed into the new year. They then discuss Trump's lawsuits and threatened lawsuits against ABC, the Des Moines Register, and Lynne Cheney, and whether these are undemocratic chilling of the fourth estate or a means of holding them to some ethical standards.

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